Charles Tyler musician

Charles Lacy Tyler (1941–1992) was an American jazz saxophonist known for his work on baritone and alto saxophones, as well as clarinet. Born in Cadiz, Kentucky, he grew up in Indianapolis, where he began playing piano and clarinet as a child before switching to alto saxophone in his teens and later focusing on baritone saxophone. He met Albert Ayler at age 14 during visits to Chicago, New York City, and Cleveland. After serving in the army from 1957–1959, Tyler moved to Cleveland in 1960 and began collaborating with Ayler, playing with Ornette Coleman and Sunny Murray. In 1965, he recorded *Bells* and *Spirits Rejoice* with Ayler’s group. The following year, he released his first album as leader, *Charles Tyler Ensemble*, on ESP-Disk. After studying at Indiana University with David Baker (1967–1968), he moved to the University of California, Berkeley in 1968, where he taught and performed with Arthur Blythe, Bobby Bradford, and David Murray. Returning to New York in 1974, he led his own groups and recorded *Voyage from Jericho* on his Akba label. Tyler toured Europe extensively, recording albums like *Live in Europe* (1977) and *Saga of the Outlaws* (1978). He also performed with Steve Reid, Cecil Taylor, and Billy Bang. In 1982, he joined Sun Ra’s Orchestra during a European tour and later moved to Stockholm, Sweden, before settling in France by 1985. There, he recorded with expatriates like Khan Jamal and Steve Lacy. Throughout his career, Tyler released numerous albums under his own name, including *Eastern Man ...